Switching device for driving nails of a nail gun

ABSTRACT

A switching device for driving nails of a nail gun, the device is provided on a gun body between a trigger and a safety slide shaft with a seat which has at least an axial hole for mounting at least a bolt axle, a switching button and a compression spring; wherein the switching button is slidably mounted on the bolt axle, the compression spring is provided between the bolt axle and the switching button; the bolt axle is connected on its bottom with the safety slide shaft, and is formed thereon an eccentric rod for pushing a tailing end of an inner trigger in a trigger, a user can control the contact position of the eccentric rod with the inner trigger in the trigger, so that the nail gun can be switched between a restrictive actuation mode or a contact actuation mode for driving nails.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a switching device used in driving nails of a nail gun, and especially to a technique using a switching button for switching the actuating modes between a restrictive actuation mode and a contact actuation mode.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Actuating modes for pneumatic nail guns which are with safety slide shaft generally are divided into two operation modes including a restrictive actuation mode and a contact actuation mode for driving nails in pursuance of the requirements of security. Wherein:

The restrictive actuation mode for driving nails indicates a mode by that when a user wants to drive a nail, he can do in sequence to firstly press a safety slide shaft or a striking seat on the shaft onto a surface of a workpiece to be nailed to push and raise an inner trigger in a trigger, and then to press the trigger, thus the inner trigger in the trigger is raised up more to trigger a trigger valve to actuate the nail gun. When the user wants to drive a next nail, he can do in sequence to firstly release the trigger and then again to press the trigger to drive the next nail. If the user transgresses the sequence of driving and to firstly press the trigger and then to press the safety slide shaft or the striking seat on the shaft, the inner trigger in the trigger is unable to be raised upwards, the trigger can not trigger the trigger valve either, thereby driving of a nail is restrained to avoid the user to create a dangerous phenomenon of accidentally driving a nail by inadvertently contact the safety slide shaft or the striking seat on the shaft after triggering.

The contact actuation mode for driving nails indicates a mode of continuous contact for driving nails in which a user wants to drive a nail can firstly continuously press the trigger firmly, and then to strike the safety slide shaft or the striking seat on the shaft toward a surface of a workpiece to be nailed in a continuous contact actuation mode, in order that each time in striking, an inner trigger in the trigger can be raised up more to trigger the trigger valve time after time to do the continuable contact actuation mode. And more, such contact actuation mode for driving nails also allow the user to firstly press the safety slide shaft or the striking seat on the shaft against a surface of a workpiece to be nailed to push up with and raise the inner trigger, then a single triggering action or continual trigger-pressing actions are performed, in order that the surface of the workpiece can be nailed thereon with a single nail or a plurality of nails.

The above modes of operation both have existed in a single conventional nail gun; they are under the control of a switching device to switch between the restrictive actuation mode and the contact actuation mode. And components of a conventional switching device are assembled in the interior of a trigger with a narrow space, they are inconvenient for use in switching by a user, and just increase the works of processing and cost of assembling of miniaturized members.

In view of this, the inventor develops the present invention that can get rid of the defects resided in the above stated switching device with the restrictive actuation mode and the contact actuation mode for driving, and the present invention is described as below:

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a switching device, especially a switching button for a user to manually move to change the mode of operation of the restrictive actuation mode or the contact actuation mode.

To get the above object, the body of a nail gun between a safety slide shaft and a trigger of the present invention is provided with a seat for assembling a bolt axle, a compression spring and the switching button. Wherein:

The bolt axle can be raised upwards with the safety slide shaft, and is formed thereon an eccentric rod for pushing an inner trigger in the trigger, so that when the rod pushes a striking seat on a surface of a workpiece, the bolt axle can be raised up more to push the inner trigger in the trigger, and thereby can press the trigger in favor of the driving operation of the restrictive actuation mode or the contact actuation mode.

The bolt axle is provided with recesses, while the switching button is provided with protruding ribs, so that the switching button can be slidably mounted on the bolt axle for a user to manually move it to rotate of the bolt axle, the eccentric rod on the bolt axle thus changes the position it abuts the inner trigger in the trigger in favor of switching control in the nail driving operation of the restrictive actuation mode or the contact actuation mode.

Additionally, the present invention also can be provided between the bolt axle and the switching button with the compression spring to endue the safety slide shaft with an ability of pushing up with the bolt axle to make it move axially and elastically restoring its original position, and to be benefit to mounting a nail driving-depth adjustor on the bottom of the bolt axle to connect the safety slide shaft, and thereby the switching device and the nail driving-depth adjustor are integrated to be at mutually neighboring positions on an axle line; this can save the allocation space of the members.

The present invention will be apparent after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state that a switching device and a nail driving-depth adjustor integrated and mounted in a body of a nail gun between a trigger and a safety slide shaft;

FIG. 2 is an anatomic perspective view of FIG. 1 showing the members in the switching device and the nail driving-depth adjustor;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken from FIG. 1, showing a switching button is moved to become a restrictive actuation mode for nail driving operation and the relationship of assembling between the switching device and the nail driving-depth adjustor;

FIG. 4 is a partial top view taken from FIG. 3 showing the switching button is moved to become the restrictive actuation mode for nail driving operation in rotating an eccentric rod to a bottom position at the tailing end of an inner trigger;

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing an action for the restrictive actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 3, the safety slide shaft is pushed upwards to drive the eccentric rod to raise upwards a tailing end of the inner trigger;

FIG. 6 is another schematic sectional view showing an action for the restrictive actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 5, the trigger is pressed to move upwards the entire inner trigger to contact a valve stem of the trigger for driving a nail;

FIG. 7 is a further schematic sectional view showing an action for the restrictive actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 3, the trigger is firstly triggered to make the tailing end of the inner trigger release from the position of rendering it able to be raised by the eccentric rod;

FIG. 8 is a further schematic sectional view showing an action for the restrictive actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 7, the safety slide shaft and the eccentric rod are raised upwards, but are unable to press the inner trigger;

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view taken from FIG. 1, showing the switching button is moved to become a contact actuation mode for nail driving operation to push the eccentric rod to near the tailing end of the inner trigger;

FIG. 10 is a partial top view taken from FIG. 9, showing the switching button is moved to become the contact actuation mode for nail driving operation in rotating the eccentric rod to a bottom position near its middle section of the bended tailing end of the inner trigger;

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view showing an action for the contact actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 9, the trigger is pressed to drive a pivot end of the inner trigger to move it upwards;

FIG. 12 is another schematic sectional view showing an action for the contact actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 11, the safety slide shaft and the eccentric rod are raised up more to push upwards the inner trigger; or under the state shown in FIG. 13, the trigger is pressed to raise the inner trigger up more to contact the valve stem of the trigger for driving a nail;

FIG. 13 is a further schematic sectional view showing an action for the contact actuation mode for nail driving operation, it illustrates that under the state shown in FIG. 9, a nail striking seat is firstly pushed to make the safety slide shaft raise up with the tailing end of the inner trigger to move it upwards;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a state that the safety slide shaft is directly locking on the bottom of a bolt axle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-12 showing a switching device 4 for driving nails and a nail driving-depth adjustor 6 of a first embodiment of the present invention integrated and mounted in a body 1 of a nail gun between a trigger 2 and a safety slide shaft 3, and to FIG. 13 showing the switching device 4 for driving nails of a second embodiment of the present invention singly provided between the trigger 2 and the safety slide shaft 3, they are described one by one hereinafter:

The First Embodiment

We can see from FIGS. 1 to 3 the state of combination of the switching device 4, the nail driving-depth adjustor 6, the trigger 2 and the safety slide shaft 3.

The trigger 2 is pivotally provided on the gun body 1 (as shown in FIG. 3), and is provided therein at least with a trigger valve stem 21 and an inner trigger 22. The inner trigger 22 has a pivot connecting end 24 pivotally connected onto the two side walls of the trigger 2; and has a bended end 23. When these two ends of the inner trigger 22 are both raised upwards, an area near the top of the middle section of the inner trigger 22 can push the trigger valve stem 21.

The safety slide shaft 3 is a bended member (as shown in FIG. 3), it is connected on one end thereof with the nail driving-depth adjustor 6 or the switching device 4, and is connected on the other end thereof with a striking seat 30 and extends to an outer end of a nail actuating outlet 10 on the bottom of the gun body 1.

The combination of the switching device 4 includes a seat 41, a bolt axle 42, a switching button 43 and a compression spring 44. Wherein:

The seat 41 is provided on its lateral sides with bolt holes 410 (as shown in FIG. 2) for extending therethrough of positioning bolts 411 to fix the seat 41 on two lateral sides 11 between the trigger 2 and the safety slide shaft 3 (as shown in FIG. 1).

The seat 41 is formed thereon a top wall 412 and an annular wall 413 on its middle section, a round axial hole 414 is provided between the top wall 412 and the annular wall 413 and extends through the top and bottom of the seat 41 (as shown in FIG. 2), a radial open groove 415 on one side of the seat 41 is formed between the top wall 412 and the annular wall 413, in order that the axial hole 414 is assembled therein with the bolt axle 42, and the open groove 415 receives therein the switching button 43 that can be slidably mounted onto the bolt axle 42 (as shown in FIG. 3). The bolt axle 42 is a round cylindrical member, it is provided on its top peripheral wall at least with an axial recess 421 that can be formed into a type having a stroke slide-way, and can be used to slidably mount the switching button 43 (as shown in FIG. 2 and 3). The top of the bolt axle 42 is formed thereon an eccentric rod 422 for pushing the inner trigger 22 in the trigger 2; moreover, the bolt axle 42 is formed on its peripheral wall a flange 423 for bearing the bottom of the abovementioned compression spring 44.

The switching button 43 is a stud cylinder-like annular member, it is formed to have on a lateral peripheral wall thereof a grip 431 (as shown in FIG. 2) for being moved by a user. The switching button 43 has a central hole 432 which has on its wall radial protruding ribs 433 (as shown in FIG. 4) for slidably mounting the switching button 43 in the axial recess 421 of the bolt axle 42. And the top wall of the switching button 43 can be formed at least one protrusion 434 can insert in the groove 417 of the same quantity be formed in the bottom of the abovementioned annular wall 413, so that the switching button 43 can be fixed or provide for the user to move the switching button 43 in a easy way. Moreover, the central hole 432 of the switching button 43 is provided on its bottom area with a spring groove 435 having a larger bore radius (as shown in FIG. 3) for receiving the top of the abovementioned compression spring 44; thereby the safety slide shaft 3 can be pushed with the bolt axle 42 to elastically move upwards and downwards between the switching button 43 and the axial hole 414.

The nail driving-depth adjustor 6 comprises a rotating button 61, a stop ring 62 and a threaded bolt 63 (as shown in FIG. 2). Wherein:

The rotating button 61 is in the form of a round nut; it has a slide resistive surface on its peripheral wall for being moved by a hand (as shown in FIG. 2), and is provided centrally with a top round groove 611 (as shown in FIG. 3) for being held over a bottom column of the bolt axle 42. The rotating button 61 is further provided on its top wall with a plurality of equidistantly spaced circling “V” shaped notches 613.

The stop ring 62 is a hollow annular member (as shown in FIG. 2), and is slipped over the abovementioned flange 423 of the bolt axle 42 (as shown in FIG. 3), and is formed at least on its bottom surface semicircular protrusions 621 corresponding in amount and position with the “V” shaped notches 613; the protrusions 621 can be received in the corresponding “V” shaped notches 613 or the top surfaces of the “V” shaped notches 613. Besides, the peripheral wall of the stop ring 62 can also be formed to have mutually opposite lugs 622 (as shown in FIG. 2) for being held on vertical grooves 416 on the two lateral sides of the bottom area of the seat 41 to prevent rotating of the stop ring 62.

The threaded bolt 63 can be fixedly connected on the top of the safety slide shaft 3, the top of the threaded bolt 63 can be received in a hole 424 on the bottom of the bolt axle 42; and by the pushing force of the compression spring 44, the bolt axle 42 and the threaded bolt 63 can be slipping connected with each other firmly; thereby, the user can rotate the rotating button 61 to adjust the level of it on the threaded bolt 63, so that the levels of the safety slide shaft 3 and the striking seat 30 connected thereto can be controlled, thus the depth of drive nail can be adjusted and controlled, and the bolt axle 42 can be raised upwards with the safety slide shaft 3 to raise the inner trigger 22 in the trigger 2.

With the above combination of members, the procedures of operation of the restrictive actuation mode and the contact actuation mode for driving nails are described one by one hereinafter:

-   -   (1) The restrictive actuation mode for driving nails: the user         can move the grip 431 (as shown in FIG. 4) to one side of the         seat 41 to rotate the eccentric rod 422 to near the bottom of         the bended end 23 of the inner trigger 22 (referring to FIG. 3),         then the user can press the striking seat 30 of the safety slide         shaft 3 on a surface of a workpiece to be nailed, in order that         the striking seat 30 is pushed up with the safety slide shaft 3         and moves the latter upwards, and is raised up more with the         bolt axle 42 through the nail driving-depth adjustor 6, thus the         eccentric rod 422 pushes the bended end 23 of the inner trigger         22 upwards (as shown in FIG. 5), and then the user can press the         trigger 2 (as shown in FIG. 6) to also move upwards the pivot         connecting end 24 of the inner trigger 22, and thereby the         entire inner trigger 22 moves upwards to trigger the trigger         valve stem 21 to drive the nail driving rod in the nail gun and         do a single-time nail driving action of the restrictive         actuation mode. And under the state shown in FIG. 3, the user         also can not do against the above stated sequence of operation;         in other words, even the user press the trigger 2 inadvertently         (as shown in FIG. 7) to wrongly contact the striking seat 30 to         push up the safety slide shaft 3 and raises the eccentric rod         422 (as shown in FIG. 8), there will be no occurrence of the         danger of inadvertent nail driving action. This is because that         the inner trigger 22 has been raised upwards in advance when the         trigger 2 is pressed, so that the bended end 23 has gotten rid         of the position able to trigger when the eccentric rod 422 is         raised (as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8), thereby the trigger valve         stem 21 can not be triggered to drive a nail; and thereby a         severe restrictive actuation mode for driving nails can be         formed.     -   (2) The contact actuation mode for driving nails: the user can         move the grip 431 (as shown in FIG. 10) to the other side of the         seat 41 to rotate the eccentric rod 422 to a bottom position         near a middle section (referring to FIG. 9) of the bended         tailing end 23 of the inner trigger 22; then the user can         firstly trigger the trigger 2 to the bottommost position (as         shown in FIG. 11) to make the pivot connecting end 24 of the         inner trigger 22 move upwards in the first place, then the         striking seat 30 on the bottom end of the safety slide shaft 3         is pushed to contact the surface of a workpiece to be nailed,         and is raised up more with the bolt axle 42 through the nail         driving-depth adjustor 6, thus the eccentric rod 422 pushes the         bended end 23 of the inner trigger 22 upwards (as shown in FIG.         12), thereby the entire inner trigger 22 moves upwards to         trigger the trigger valve stem 21 to drive the nail driving rod         in the nail gun and do a nail driving action of the contact         actuation mode. And under the state, the user also can         continuously press the trigger 2 firmly, and then repeatedly         operate to release and press the striking seat 30 on the surface         of the workpiece to be nailed, in order that the bended tailing         end 23 of the inner trigger 22 continuously bears the repeated         pushing actions of the eccentric rod 422, and a continuous         contact actuation mode for driving nails is formed. And more,         such contact actuation mode for driving nails also allow the         user to firstly press the striking seat 30 on the surface of the         workpiece to be nailed to push up with the safety slide shaft 3         and raise the inner trigger 22 (as shown in FIG. 13), then a         single triggering action or continual triggering actions on the         trigger 2 are performed (as shown in FIG. 12), in order that the         surface of the workpiece can be nailed thereon with a single         nail or a plurality of nails.

It is believed that the above description has sufficiently disclosed the necessary technical contents for practicing the present invention, particularly the switching device is mounted on the gun body between the safety slide shaft and the trigger to make the members of the device not limited to a narrow interior space of the trigger; in other words, the convenience for a user to move the switching button can be increased; besides, the present invention severely observes the consideration of safety in using nail guns, it is therefore has industrial utility.

The Second Embodiment

In the first embodiment stated above of the present invention, the nail driving-depth adjustor 6 can be saved to form the second embodiment, in other words, a screw 7 can be used to directly lock the safety slide shaft 3 on the bottom of the bolt axle 42 (as shown in FIG. 14), and the above stated two kinds of modes including the restrictive actuation mode and the contact actuation mode for driving nails changeable for each other can be in the same way performed, the second embodiment thereby also falls in the scope of the present invention in thought and technical application. The embodiments given are only for illustrating the present invention, and not for giving any limitation to the scope of the invention; it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications or changes without departing from the spirit of this invention shall also fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A switching device for driving nails of a nail gun, said device is provided on a gun body between a trigger and a safety slide shaft, wherein said trigger is pivotally provided on said gun body, and said trigger is provided therein with a trigger valve stem and an inner trigger pivotally connecting with said trigger, said inner trigger has a pivot connecting end and a tailing end; said safety slide shaft has one end connecting with said switching device, and has another end connecting with a striking seat and extends to an outer end of a nail driving outlet on a bottom of said gun body; said switching device includes a seat, a bolt axle, a switching button and a compression spring, and is characterized in that: said seat is fixed on two lateral sides of said gun body between said trigger and said safety slide shaft, and is provided at least with an axial hole for mounting said bolt axle; said bolt axle is provided on its peripheral wall at least with an axial recess having a stroke slide-way and used to slidably mount said switching button, said bolt axle is formed thereon an eccentric rod for pushing said tailing end of said inner trigger in said trigger; and said bolt axle is connected on its bottom with said safety slide shaft; said switching button has a central hole which has on its wall at least a radial protruding rib for slidably mounting said switching button in said axial recess; and said compression spring is provided between said bolt axle and said switching button to endue said safety slide shaft can be pushed with said bolt axle to elastically move upwards and downwards between said switching button and said axial hole; with the above combination of members, procedures of operation of a restrictive actuation mode or a contact actuation mode for driving nails is performed by a user to rotate said switching button for changing abutting positions of said eccentric rod on said safety slide shaft against said tailing end of said inner trigger.
 2. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said axial hole, said axial recess on said bolt axle and said rib on switching button are all provided axially.
 3. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said axial hole is provided between a top wall and an annular wall of said seat and extends through a top and a bottom of said seat.
 4. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 3, wherein a radial open groove is formed on one side of said seat and is formed between said top wall and said annular wall, in order that said open groove receives therein said switching button that is slidably mounted onto said bolt axle.
 5. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 4, wherein a top wall of said switching button is formed at least one protrusion to insert in the groove of the same quantity of the bottom of said annular wall.
 6. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bolt axle is formed on said peripheral wall thereof a flange for bearing a bottom of said compression spring bolt axle.
 7. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switching button is formed to have on a lateral peripheral wall thereof a grip for moving by a user.
 8. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switching button is provided on its bottom area with a spring groove for receiving a top of said compression spring.
 9. The switching device for driving nails of a nail gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bolt axle has on its bottom a nail driving-depth adjustor connecting with said safety slide shaft; said nail driving-depth adjustor has a threaded bolt fixedly connected to a top of said safety slide shaft, a top of said threaded bolt is received in a hole on said bottom of said bolt axle, a rotating button is screw connected to said threaded bolt for being held over a bottom column of said bolt axle. 